Hannah Harper’s American Idol journey ended the same way many viewers expected it would: with tears, confetti, and a Season 24 victory.
Moments after being crowned the Season 24 winner over runner-up Jordan McCullough and third-place finalist Keyla Richardson, Harper spoke to Gold Derby backstage to reflect on the whirlwind finale, the viral success of her original song “String Cheese,” balancing motherhood throughout the competition, and why she’s already preparing to hit the road for her first tour.
Read our full Q&A below.
Gold Derby: You’re officially the new American Idol. How did it feel hearing Ryan Seacrest announce you as the winner?
Hannah Harper: It’s not real. I’m going to wake up tomorrow, right? Life’s going to be normal.
This has been such a long process. What’s it like now that it’s finally over?
Oh, all the tears. I’ve joked with everybody — it feels like the last few weeks of pregnancy, which you wouldn’t relate to, but I’m sure if you have kids, you relate to it. But it’s one of those things where you want it to end so bad, you just can’t wait, but at the same time, you know it’s never going to happen again and you try to soak it in. So all of that has just been a learning process for me because I’m like, “Gosh, I’m ready to get out of here.” But I’ve learned so much and I have so much to be thankful for for this journey.
What was going through your mind during that confetti moment?
Listen, I didn’t know the confetti was falling because I was weeping and when I opened my eye there was like a star stuck in my eyelash. I was like, “What in the world?” I couldn’t stop crying. It was crazy. It was so surreal.
“String Cheese” connected with so many people this season. What has that response meant to you?
The number I heard tonight for streams blew me away. I hadn’t realized that so many people had heard and connected with that song, but it makes it all worth it. I wrote that song in a place of vulnerability and I was frustrated and wondering why God would allow me to walk through postpartum. When bad things happen, you’re just like, “Why is this happening?” But now looking back at it, I’m like, “He let me walk through that so I could minister to other moms and dads who are struggling as well, not feeling seen.” And so I was glad that I had the opportunity for my voice to be heard and to share that song with millions.
Carrie Underwood talked this season about seeing some of herself in you because she dealt with similar performance critiques during her season. What was it like growing throughout the competition while doing it all in public?
It’s been hard. It’s been very hard. It’s been hard to stay out of the comments. It’s hard to just be confident in who you are. But at the end of the day, my artistry is storytelling and that’s what means the most, not that I’m performing with my body in some way. I obviously want people to feel the emotion, but performing in that way is not something I think I’ll ever be comfortable with.
For the competition, it felt necessary and I still did it poorly. And still when I was giving my all, everyone was like, “She sucks.” You know what I mean? So either way, I did my best and obviously people loved it enough for me to have this opportunity because this wasn’t my own doing. This was the people who watched every single week who voted for me.
Your husband and kids have been out here with you through this entire experience. What has that sacrifice looked like for your family?
We’ve been here since March and my husband and my three kids have been out here the entire time. My husband’s been living at a hotel with them doing life, homeschooling my kids, and it’s been hard because at the end of the day, most of the other contestants get to go home and chill and it’s like as soon as I walk in, I want to give as much as I give here to them. They don’t see me all day. And so I get like 15 minutes and I’m just like, “Oh, golly.” It’s been hard for them. Their mom got ripped out of normalcy. That was their person and so it’s been a challenge for sure. We’re going to have to go home and learn a new normal, but my husband has made so many sacrifices for me to be able to do this and I can never repay that man.
Fans compared you to Lee Ann Womack all season long. What was it like getting to perform with her during the finale?
That was like the best Mother’s Day gift ever. That made my life. I was so honored to get to share the stage with her and she’s such a real genuine person, like just getting to even have a conversation with her and see how down to earth she was made me love her so much more. So I was blessed with that opportunity.
What happens next for Hannah Harper after American Idol?
I’m going on tour, man. I’m hitting the road. We’re going to hit the ground running. I’m going to rest for a couple of weeks at home. I’m going to write, record, and we’re going to announce a “String Cheese” tour in the next few days. So theaters and small towns. It’s not anything huge, but it’s something that’s close to my heart, small communities that I get to storytell with and I can’t wait for it. Thrilled.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
